If you’re a fan of the highly coveted New Balance 550, it’s worth checking out its high-top counterpart, the 650. Emerging from the archives in 2022, the New Balance 650 pays homage to ’90s basketball trainers with a bulky and supportive construction. Thanks to multiple collaborations with Teddy Santis’ Aime Leon Dore, both the New Balance 650 and 550 have gathered a huge amount of hype in the sneaker world.
The 1980s retro basketball sneaker is currently making waves in the sneaker industry since the New Balance 550 Aime Leon Dore pairs caught a lot of attention back in late 2020. Since then, we’re seeing each new colourway selling out in either days or weeks with the hype for the 550 looking like it’s not gunna stop anytime soon.
In this New Balance 650 Sizing Guide, we’ll talk about how the NB 650 fits and if it runs true to size. We’ll also review how the trainers feel underfoot and if they’re worth adding to the rotation. All that and more in this Comprehensive New Balance 650 Sizing Guide / Review!
The New Balance 650 is basically the 550 but with extra padding around the ankle. Everything from the upper to the rubber outsole remained constant, with the exception of the collar. The 650 is perfect if you need some extra ankle support.
The New Balance 650 generally runs slightly longer just like the 550s, which may result in a sloppy fit. However, the midfoot section of the shoe feels narrow similar to the New Balance 550. This kinda balances it out in terms of the trainer’s length and width.
If you have wide feet, you can settle for a half size bigger than your usual New Balance pairs to achieve a better fit. If you have normal or narrow feet, you can stick to your usual size. If comparing to Nike, go a half size up.
The narrow feeling of the midfoot area will go away once you break in the shoe. So make sure you get the sizing right beforehand to avoid possible sizing issues.
What makes the New Balance 650 feel different is the padded ankle collar. This provides a better lockdown and a more restrictive feeling than the low-cut 550s.
When comparing to Nike, most New Balance pairs run slightly smaller than average, so as a general rule, you’ll want to go a half size up. If you take a UK size 9 in Nike Air Max for example, you’ll want to take a size 9.5 in New Balance to ensure you get the same fit.
It’s no surprise that this shoe packs a lot of comfort, especially with the addition of that padded ankle collar. When it comes to its cushioning, New Balance are known for quality sockliners on the inside of the shoe, with the NB650 being a prime example of this.
The EVA wedge comprising the midsole is just like any other basketball shoe from the 80s and 90s. They are not bouncy or cushioned with any ground breaking technology, however your feet will remain happy after walking in them for hours.
Think of the shoe as New Balance version of the Nike Dunk High or Adidas Forum but with better sock liners. It’s important to note, collabs such as the ALD x New Balance 650 have more premium materials, which may add to the overall comfort.
Those with wide feet may feel some sort of inconsistency with the New Balance 650 sizing, affecting the comfort. But if you figure out the right size to wear, you’ll be good to go!
While technically designed as a basketball shoe in the late 80s, the current the New Balance 650 is now more suited lifestyle shoe. Of course you can rock the New Balance 650 on the basketball court, but don’t expect this to be a common go to pair considering the amount of modern alternatives available.
The lack of cushioning and heavier weight of the NB 650 will most likely affect your performance. It’s going to hurt your feet when you continuously run and jump using these old school options.
If you’re still confident to play in these, it’s proper to switch the sock liners with cushioned insoles from the aftermarket. The traction is reliable, which is an important factor in choosing the right basketball sneaker.
The New Balance 650 sizing is something to take note of. But if you already know about this with the New Balance 550, then you can use the latter as a reference when choosing the right size.
If you haven’t had any previous pairs from New Balance, but wear a lot of Nike. We always advise to go up a half size from Nike to ensure the correct fit.
The 650 has a thick padded collar that hugs the foot for better ankle support. This can be a hit or a miss depending on who you ask. But if you’re a fan of high-top trainers, the NB 650 is a worthy addition to the collection. Even better if you managed to cop a pair of the limited-edition Aime Leon Dore collabs.
If you’re interested in a pair, we recommend heading to the official New Balance UK website to see the latest drops.
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